


Crossing Oceans

by CharminglyyEvil



Category: The 100, kabby - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Feelings, I mean sex, Kabby reconnecting, first times ;), post 2x13, sex guys, sharing losses and pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 09:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8323054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharminglyyEvil/pseuds/CharminglyyEvil
Summary: Abby didn’t die that night, but Marcus still feels like he’s lost her nonetheless. 
Sick of Abby ignoring him, Marcus confronts her. And the two of them realize just how much they need each other.





	

In his dreams, Marcus hears an exploding gunshot and watches Abby die.

When he awakes, gasping for air like a drowning sailor and coated with sweat, he can still hear himself screaming. It takes him a while to remind himself that Abby is very much alive, but it takes him longer stop picturing her corpse lying at the foot of his bed.

Abby didn’t die that night, but Marcus still feels like he’s lost her nonetheless.

Despite the overwhelming number of fatalities their population had suffered since Allie’s destruction, there’s a shortage of accommodation. Arkadia had taken a hit during the civil war, so previous compartments had been blown up, or otherwise filled with too much broken glass, debris and the smell of death, in no way inhabitable. Marcus had spent the first few days organising tents for the homeless, and sending in groups of people to try and make previous compartments as adequate as they can. Despite his efforts, nobody gets the privilege of having their own room anymore.

Marcus and Abby are forced to room together, yet Marcus barely sees her.

Since they had returned, Abby has thrown herself back into her work. Seeing patient after patient, soothing fevers, stitching wounds, bandaging cuts; the broken bones and bruises she can manage, but neither she nor Jackson can handle the unpredictable and violent waves of trauma that continues to hit their people, with outbreaks of panic attacks and post-trauma becoming an epidemic. Abby can’t pick up all the broken pieces and glue people back together.

Hell, Abby can’t even fix herself.

So she does all that she can do, and works herself to the bone. She works until her vision blurs and sleep hammers painfully in her head and Jackson pushes her out of Medical in the early morning, dragging her feet down the halls and stumbling into their quarters, passing out on their bed before she can look Marcus in the eye.

Marcus usually follows her later, pulling the blankets over her body and slipping quietly next to her. He rolls onto his side and watches her sleep, something like content buzzing warmly in his chest as he watches sleep relax her features. There’s something soothing about watching the puffs of winter air from her gentle breathing, and the rise and fall of her chest.

Then he thinks about their kiss. He thinks about all those times he had dreamt about sleeping with her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her until her petite body’s pressed against his, running his arm up and down her sides until she melted into his body and drifted off to sleep.

 But Allie had nailed a wall between them like she nailed Marcus’s wrists to the cross. A melancholic smile plays on Marcus’s lips as he wonders if they will ever tear that wall down, or if they’ll be forced to revert back to where they were before. Miles away from each other, separated by cool words, averted gazes and alien greetings too polite and bitter on the tongue, even for a stranger. 

No, this time it’s worst. Because Marcus had spent years loving her in silence, but it took only a heartbeat to taste what a life with Abigail Griffin felt like, before having it snatched away, leaving a dull ache in his chest. This time, Marcus knows what he is missing.

Yet sometimes, when neither of them awake in the dead of night screaming murder, Abby would roll over in her sleep, her small sighs and sleepy mummers stirring Marcus from his slumber. Then he could just feel her body pressing up against his side, an arm draping over his chest and hand resting on his arm, as if he was her only anchor. Marcus would muster up just enough energy to smile lazily and bring an arm to wrap around her.

By morning, he would awake to an empty bed, and wondered if it had all been a dream.

It wasn’t like Marcus was not equally busy too. They had six months left. Six months to find a way to save the human race.

Marcus’s early mornings are spent locked in the engineering room with Sinclair, Raven, Monty and the rest of the engineering team, discussing any and every piece of technology that can help them; new equipment to build hydroponic domes, air filters and water purifies, and at some point, they have even tossed up the possibility of salvaging whatever technology they can find from the Ark’s wreckage and going back up to space again.

His later mornings are spent pouring over mountains of paperwork that say all the same thing; they have too many impossible ideas and not enough time.

Marcus’s afternoons are consumed with tedious council meetings, listening to Bellamy map out a parameter of the ‘danger zone’ (their best estimations for where the radiation has currently hit), discussing the possibility of moving soon to buy more time, and listening to updates on their current supplies; food, water, shelter, medicine…always scarce and gradually depleting.

At night, Marcus checks in on the guards, organises the nightly patrol, and meets with Commander Luna to discuss her progress and future plans.

It continues on like this for the next fortnight, Abby spending every waking minute in Medical, and Marcus channelling his conflicting rage and desperation to finding a solution to their survival.

Marcus tells himself that this is the right thing to do. That there is no point reminiscing over what could have been between he and Abby, ruminating over nonsensical feelings and love when they may have not lived long enough to the true potential of their relationship. This is probably better, even, to have never ventured down this relationship when it would end so quickly, give them both something less to miss when they die.

It is only when Marcus is walking back after another meeting with Luna, noticing Bellamy and Clarke sitting by the fire as he passes them by, does he question his decision. He stops and stares at the couple, sitting side by side on the log, quietly talking, the fire dancing shadows across their faces.

It’s subtle at first.  

Bellamy’s hand coming to rest on her thigh, and Clarke flashing him a special smile from her lowered eyes. It reminds Marcus all too much about that night he and Abby had shared by the flames, as Abby joked about lashing Jaha and Marcus said that Clarke is strong like her Mother.

Clarke and Bellamy talk some more. Then he’s cupping her cheek and kissing her. And the Earth is dying and radiation will seep into their skin, an insidious disease poisoning their organs, their bones, their brain, and yet blissful joy is blossoming on Clarke’s face and Bellamy is smiling like he hadn’t just told everyone that morning that they were running out of blankets during the harsh winter, because there’s something so pure and radiant swallowing the two of them, something so inexplicable to Marcus that he’s rigid on the spot, wondering how they could possibly look so hopeful when the human race may soon cease to exist.

Then her words fly back to him. ‘ _Hope is everything.’_

And suddenly Marcus remembers gusts of steam hitting his face and hot metal burning his flesh as he crawls through the vent, knowing that on some rational level, his efforts are a waste, given that they are all going to die in hours from oxygen deprivation. Then he sees her slumped against the wall and all of those thoughts vanish, and he runs to wake her up, calling for her, praying for her to wake, even if they only have hours left on the Ark.

Then she opens her eyes, and Marcus knows that they’re going to die, but he swears before God that he will die grateful just to have these last hours with her.

They were suffocating back in space, yet the very thought of losing Abby had struck fear into him like nothing else could.

Now they’re back in a similar situation. Granted, they have six months now instead of 48 hours, but the prospect that they may not make it is still very real. Yet the fear of losing Abby hasn’t changed, even if their time is short.

Marcus doesn’t hang around the fire long enough for the young couple to catch him. He spins around and hurries back to his room, frantically calculating the time in his head and recalling Abby’s schedule, remembering that Abby would usually be stumbling back into their quarters by now.

Marcus flings the door open and sure enough, she’s sitting on the edge of their bed, back hunched, trying to rub the tiredness from her eyes. She’s exhausted, but Marcus gathers that she mustn’t be as tired as usual, because she’s made the rare effort to get changed into her sleeping-tee and shorts.

Abby lifts her head up, eyes blooming with surprise. She’s silent for a moment, then, “You’re not usually back this early.”  

“You’re not usually back this early either.”

Abby bows her head, her hair curtaining around her face, and Marcus immediately understands. Medical must not have been busy tonight, so she had left early, _perhaps hoping to avoid seeing him._

Marcus swallows the hurt he feels at the thought, and hesitantly approaches her, wincing a little when she flinches. “Abby, we need to talk.”  

Abby lifts her head back up, all shame vanishing and replaced with steady and cool composure. “No, we don’t.”

“Abby-“

“Marcus, I know what you’re going to say and please, just…don’t.” Abby makes to stand up and walks away from the bed, thinking about leaving, thinking about finding a cot in Medical to spend the night in, (or going over some inventory if Jackson’s not there to stop her).

Marcus sees her heading towards the door and within a few quick strides is standing in front of her, blocking the door. “What do you think I’ll say?”

Abby lifts her head up to meet his gaze, a mixture of weariness and irritation washing her features. “Marcus, we don’t have time for this.”

“Yes we do. Your patients can wait, Jackson can wait, we can spare two minutes-“

Abby tries to brush past him and Marcus grabs her wrist. Abby tenses, he instantly releases her, shoulders drooping a little with regret. He tries again softly, “Please, Abby. You won’t talk to me, you can barely look at me…I need to know why. If it’s something I’ve done-“

Marcus stops, the words faltering on his lips and shooting an ache through his chest. _What if it was something he had done?_ He has considered it in passing. The thought that Abby is upset at him for taking the chip, perhaps she had believed him to be their last hope at stopping Allie, but had caved under pressure and swallowed the chip.

Marcus wouldn’t know. They never had the chance to discuss any of this.

“Then tell me,” Marcus continues quietly, trying to capture her lowered eyes with his. “Abby, I want to make this right-“

“Is that what you think?” Abby whispers, lifting her eyes up to meet his. “That I’m angry at you for taking the chip? Or for leaving Arkadia, even though we both knew that that was the best decision? So I’ve been ignoring you, holding a grudge like a child?”

Marcus blinks, the tense lines on his forehead easing into confusion. “If that’s not it, then what is it?”

Abby opens her mouth, then closes it. She opens it once more and struggles again. She crosses her arms and walks back around a few paces, finding it easier to gather her thoughts when he’s not directly staring her down.

She turns to face him. “I’m so sorry Marcus. I know we haven’t been – I know _I’ve_ been avoiding you. But believe me, I never wanted to hurt you. It’s just that… I can barely look at you. When I see you, I see-“

Marcus follows her gaze to his wrists - un-bandaged soft, pink skin and wrinkly scars- and immediately understands. “Abby, surely you don’t believe that Allie nailing me to the cross was your fault.”

Abby pushes her lips together, feels the tears constricting in her chest. She hugs herself further and whispers, “It’s not just that. Marcus, I told everyone to take the chip. Our people took the chip _because of me_.”

“No.” Marcus is in front of her within seconds, reaching for her shoulder. He pulls back when she tenses, so he tries to meet her eyes instead. “Abby, our people took that chip because Allie manipulated you, _controlled_ you into persuading them to take it. You know that.”

Abby lifts her head up, a sob shattering in her chest. “But that doesn’t change anything, does it? Marcus, the people who died in that war died because they took a chip I asked them to take, under the false belief that it was in their best interests. Yet I’m still here, alive. And Clarke’s still alive. And I can’t change that. Marcus, I had to inform a Mother today that I couldn’t save her daughter’s leg, and she’ll never be able to walk again. How can I look her in the eye and tell her this when I’m the reason-“Abby stops and takes a shattering breath, swallows back a sob. “The reason that-“

A sob breaks Abby’s sentence, and she begins to cry.

Marcus is embracing her in an instant, gathering her in his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” Abby sniffles into Marcus’s shoulder, burying her wet face deeper into his cotton shirt. “I’m so sorry I’ve been ignoring you. Every time I looked at you, I saw what I had done…”

“Abby, stop it.” Marcus pulls away, pushing her tangled wisps of hair back behind her face, wiping away a few tears with the back of his fingers. His eyes soften onto hers, his chest tightening when he sees the tortured look in her eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” There’s silence for a beat, then, “Why did you never tell me this?”

Abby sniffs and pulls away from Marcus’s gentle hand, head turning to the side almost shamefully. “Because I know you Marcus, and I know that you would only be kind to me, tell me that I don’t deserve to shut myself away. And I didn’t need to hear that.”

“You didn’t need to hear that, or you didn’t _want_ to hear that?” Marcus reframes. He stares at her closely, then “Abby, you don’t deserve to go through this, at least not alone. Please…I know I can’t stop you from feeling this way, I can’t take away the pain. But I want to be there for you…you don’t have to do this alone.”

Abby closes her eyes, his words washing over her and easing the pain in her heart. It feels good to finally share her burden with Marcus, even if Abby is struggling with doing just that. Still, she wants to open up more, to share her pain. Yet she can barely manage the task of breathing right now.

“How?” Abby asks quietly, opening her eyes. “How can I…how can you…” she trails off, a little unsure.

Marcus offers her a comforting smile and his hand, grateful when she accepts. He begins to lead them back to the couch and gently says, “We can start by talking about what happened.”

Abby drops down next to him, fingers coming to her lap, pulling and tangling together uncomfortably. On some rational level, she knows that this is ludicrous; they have six months left to live, and really should be spending every precious minute finding a solution. Yet another part of her is relieved, because she had spent too many weeks bottling up her pain and emotions, wanting every day to tell Marcus just how sorry she was, but just how hurt she was too.

“I dream of that night sometimes,” Abby begins quietly, her eyes sinking to her lap. “When I - _Allie,_ nailed you to the cross. In my dreams, it’s like I’m trapped inside my body…I’m aware of what I’m doing, but I can’t control it. In the City of Light I couldn’t sense anything, I couldn’t hear you scream when I, _Allie…_ ”Abby stop, swallows. She takes a steady breath and continues, “But in my dreams…it’s so vivid. It always ends with you dying.”

Abby didn’t even realise she was crying again until she feels gentle fingers brushing along her cheek. Abby turns her head towards his hand, briefly relishing in the comfort of his touch.

Marcus draws back and quietly says, “I had no idea.”

“Working late into the night helped,” Abby admitted. “But it was always easier when you were sleeping there next to me, I just- I just found it hard to see you the next morning, with the dream still fresh in my mind.”

Marcus reaches out and untangles her fumbling fingers, intertwining their fingers together. He casts her a tender look and a comforting yet sad smile, and Abby instantly knows that Marcus won’t be letting her leave the mornings so quickly without him anymore, but intent (in his own stubborn way) of making sure that he is there for her, after every bad nightmare.

Abby’s eyes drop down to her lap again, studying their hands. She lifts their joined hands up and unravels his fingers, thumbs running over his calloused palms. She takes in his wrist closely for the first time. She runs her thumb over the brown scar, feels his pulse accelerate under her thumb. She thinks about kissing those beautiful scars when Marcus mummers,

“I have similar dreams too, you know. Dreams where I never swallowed the chip, and Thelonious shoots you.”

Abby snaps her head up, surprise expanding in her eyes. Marcus looks a little grim as he continues, “He pointed the gun to your head that night, and threatened to shoot you unless I took the chip. I-the thought of you dying, it broke me Abby. You need to know that I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.”

Abby’s eyes soften tenderly, her chest tightening. Then she surprises him by bringing his hand up to her face, and softly kisses his scar. “I suspected as much,” Abby replies afterwards, lowering his hand back down to her lap. “I know you Marcus. You’re strong. You would always put our people before yourself. I knew that sacrificing yourself to save someone else would be the only reason you would take the chip, I just didn’t know it was me. I’m so sorry.”

They share another look of understanding, and Abby slowly feels the strings that had been tightening her chest the past few weeks gradually ease. She can breathe. Abby thinks about telling Marcus that that was why she took the chip too (to save Raven), when Marcus brushes his fingers against her neck.

Abby tenses, shooting him a round-eyed look. Marcus hesitates and asks, “May I?”

Then Abby realises. _Her scars._ She hesitates, then nods.

His fingers are back onto her neck, pushing back her hair and revealing dark bruises and red scars branding her neck. He swallows. Just like everything else, he has never had a chance to ask her how she got those scars.

 “Allie hung me,” Abby explains in a whisper, her eyes once again dropping to her lap. “She had me torture Clarke first…to find out what the passphrase was for the flame. But Clarke didn’t tell me, of course she didn’t-“ Abby stops and closes her eyes. With each flash of the traumatic memory she thinks, _Clarke, stubborn, just like her Mother_. She opens her eyes and continued in a shaky whisper, “So Allie had me hung. I looped some rope around my neck…and jumped. When I woke up, Clarke told me it wasn’t my fault, but-“

Abby stops, her hand automatically coming up to her neck, only to make contact with Marcus’s fingers. She blinks back another few tears and lifts her eyes back up to him. She sees his heart-aching fear reflecting in his eyes, and knows that he’s realising just how close she was to dying.

Abby dips her head down to see his fingers, which are once again skimming over her scars, her skin burning hot wherever they touch.

Marcus feels her cool chain around her neck, then her pulse, drumming against his fingers. He wants to tell her that he’s sorry, that he wishes that he could take her pain away, because she doesn’t deserve this.

“The scars will heal,” Abby mummers suddenly, breaking the silence. She says it as if she needs to reassure him just as much as herself that they will, as if he too feels just as sick as she does when she sees them.

The thought breaks Marcus’s heart.

Marcus sees grief and disgust shadowing her eyes when she stares at the scars, when she sees Marcus touching them. He wants to tell her just how beautiful these scars are to him. She may not know that Marcus had learned just why Abby swallowed the chip; to save Raven’s life. He knew that Abby would have never taken the chip otherwise. And just like her sacrifice, Marcus thinks, these scars only show him her strength and courage, her endurance.

_Her incredible ability to always find hope beyond the pain._

He wants to tell her all of this, but the words seem lost in his head, swirls of air he can’t manage to grasp.

So instead, Marcus leans forward and brushes his lips against her scar. He senses her inhale sharply underneath him, but she doesn’t draw away. She stays still as he continues to pepper slow kisses along her neck, his mouth trailing down to open and close over her racing pulse, until he hears her sigh, her head unconsciously tilting back to grant him further access. Growing more confident, Marcus steadies his hands on her waist and drags kisses up the slope of her neck to the back of her ear, drawing a raspy moan from her throat.

Abby’s eyes flutter shut, any instincts she had to push him away long gone. She can feel his lips over her bruises, stinging a little but in a pleasurable way, hot and cool, like stepping outside from a hot, furnace room and into a glittering snow storm. She can feel his lips venturing over her collarbone and burying into the hollow of her neck, feel his beard scratching pleasurably against sensitive skin, catching fire across her skin wherever his mouth touches. And Abby can’t breathe, can’t think, slowly dissolving into liquid under his mouth.

Abby doesn’t realise just how much desire she feels for him until he pulls back, his mouth inches from hers.

“I’m sorry,” Marcus says immediately, too catching his breath. “I shouldn’t have-“

“Don’t,” Abby replies breathlessly.

“I wanted to tell you that I think they’re beautiful, your scars, and then I –“

“Marcus,” Abby cuts him off, huffing out an incredulous laugh that light up her entire features. “Don’t apologise.”

Then she captures his lips in hers.

Marcus is stunned for a second, heart stopping for a precious beat. Then he’s leaning forward to chase down her kiss, mouth moving with hers. Abby parts her lips to capture more of him, her hands tangling through his hair to guide him deeper into her mouth. And his tongue is stroking hers until she’s moaning into his mouth, chasing her breath away, and Abby is wondering why they hadn’t done this sooner.

Marcus pulls away first, pupils dilated and breathless. He takes a moment to admire the woman in front of him, the woman with flushed cheeks and giddy smile and radiant eyes, who can’t stop his heart from racing.

“Hey,” Abby said softly, brushing her nose playfully against his. “What’re you thinking about?”

Marcus shakes his head a little, a hint of a bashful smile tugging at his lips. _How happy I am to have you here with me again._ But he says, “I didn’t think that I’d be able to…that _we’d_ ever be able to, after…”

Abby’s smile vanishes as she reads the dark memories passing his features. _After Allie manipulated you and me when she got you to kiss me, and tainted whatever hope we had at starting something together._

_No._

Abby won’t let Allie ruin that. She won’t let every kiss between them remind Marcus of that horrendous night when she had manipulated his feelings, and she won’t let Allie ruin whatever chance she and Marcus had together at starting something new, pure, _something good_.

So Abby closes the space between them and kisses him again. She kisses him with a new tenderness, conveying all the love and heart-ache that she been carrying these past few weeks. And Marcus responds with equal passion, his mouth parting hers to tell her just that same story too.

Yet their kisses grow more heated, and it isn’t long before Marcus is pulling Abby by the waist – gasping and laughing –into his lap. She breaks the kiss momentarily to straddle his lap, enjoying the new distance – or lack of – between them.

She brushes her nose against his and grins. “Hey.” Abby pecks him on the lips and draws back, eyes sparkling. “Much more comfortable.”

Marcus grins back. “Good.”

Then he leans up to kiss her again, and again, and again…

Abby’s eyes flutter’s shut as she feels his arms come to wrap around her back, feels his firm yet soft chest slide against hers, feels his heart pounding in synch with hers. Her fingers are ghosting around the back of his neck, and then back to tangle through his hair where she tugs just a little, drawing his mouth deeper into hers.

Yet somehow, it’s still not enough. Abby can feel the overwhelming desire she has swallowing her whole like an erupting inferno, and she needs _more._ So she pushes herself up against him, gasping and shivering when she feels his cool fingers skate underneath her shirt. Slowly, Abby arches her back and rolls her hips against his, letting out a small moan at the new friction.

They break the kiss, and he’s staring at her with dark eyes that shoot another wave of desire through her body. She dips her head down and kisses his jaw, his neck, peppering kisses down to his collarbone. She grinds her hips up against his once more, and has her name tumbling from his mouth in a groan.

Grinning, Abby kisses her way back up his neck and to his mouth, desire quickly pooling between her thighs as she continues to grind up against him. Abby faintly hears him mummer, ‘ _Not here.’_

Before Abby can comprehend what he meant, Marcus pulls her closer and lifts her up into the air. Gasping, Abby quickly wraps her arms around his legs, holding onto him tighter as he begins to carry her to the bed.

Abby laughs, her forehead dropping to meet his. “Marcus, you’re going to drop me.”

Marcus just grins and pecks her on the lips. “You have so little faith in me, don’t you?”

Abby’s smile widens, sincerity sparkling in her eye. “No Marcus, never.”

Marcus desperately wants to kiss her bright eyed smile, yet before he can do just that, his heel hits something on the floor and he stumbles. He feels Abby’s grip on him tighten before his back hits the bed, and she’s tumbling on top of him.

They stare at each other for a quick second, Abby lying on top of Marcus’s chest, their legs still hanging off the bed. Then they burst into laughter, and Abby’s burying her face into Marcus’s chest, the same thought passing both of their minds.

_They’re definitely too old for this._

Marcus swings his legs up over the bed and Abby follows suit, so she’s laying comfortably on top of him now, her chin propped against his chest.

“God, can you imagine what the kids would say if they saw us like this?”

Marcus winced. “Mortified at the behaviour of their Chancellors? God, I don’t even want to think about that.”

Abby huffs out a chuckle in agreement. Her fingers brush away the waves of hair that had fallen over his face, admiring his eyes. They always remind her of earth, the colour of rich soil in the warm summer morning. Her thumbs run down the slope of his nose, gentle fingers mapping out his features.

As she continues to stare at him, Marcus feels his chest expand with pure elation and warmth, seeing the love and affection he holds for her mirrored in her eyes too.

Marcus leans up to kiss her once more, hand cupping her cheek to bring her back down to him.

It’s not long before they’re making out once more like a couple of horny teenagers. Marcus is struggling to kick his shoes off as Abby is unbuttoning his shirt, breaking their kiss to drop kisses down his chest. Marcus too manages to tug off her shirt and unclasp her bra, eyes darkening once her bra falls to the side.

Abby can’t help but blush a little at his obvious desire, it has, after all, been a long time since Jake. But all those thoughts evaporate when he goes to cup her breast, fingers teasing and exploring until she’s moaning above him.

Marcus sits back up against the back of the bed, capturing her lips once more. They continue like that for a while, Marcus’s lips peppering down her neck and over the swell of her breasts, worshipping every inch of skin he can find, both of them touching and feeling and _learning._

They have six months left, yet they act like they’re the only lovers on Earth, with all the time in the world. But Marcus knows that he has wasted for what has felt like a lifetime, so many moments he had to muster up the courage to love Abby Griffin, unconditionally and openly. So beyond anything, he will make this night memorable.

But it’s not long before the desire is almost unbearable. Abby can feel the flaming ache growing between her thighs as she continues to rock her hips against Marcus’s with increasing pace. Her lips are long bruised, teeth clashing every time they meet, and yet Abby feels like she can drink his kisses forever. She thinks about pulling back to take a breath, then she feels his hand squeezing her arse and pulling her hips further into his. She’s groaning into his mouth, and once again hears him moan her name.

Within seconds, they’ve torn the rest of their clothes off and Abby is sinking into him. They’re still for a beat, the sounds of her long-held, sedated breath hanging in the air. Then she feels him begin to move inside her, hips rising and falling with hers as she stretches to take more of him in, his thrusts getting deeper, and deeper, her cries growing higher and higher…

They don’t last long. Abby cries as he slips a hand between their bodies, sending her over the edge with him.

Marcus drops breathless, tender kisses down her hair and shoulder as they slowly come back down, gradually regaining their present awareness. Abby drops her head on Marcus’s shoulder, taking a moment to catch her breath. She sighs a little when she feels him kissing the crook of her neck and lifts her head up, lips melting into a dizzying smile when she meets his affectionate eyes.

She dismounts him and they go to curl up together on the bed, Marcus on his back with his arm wrapped around her frame, their legs tangling together, as if they had done this all their lives.

“We have six months left to think of a solution or we’re all going to die,” Marcus breaks the silence, turning his head to face her. “Is it selfish of me to feel this happy now?”

Abby rolls over to her side to face him, a wistful smile gracing her features. “Not at all. I find that it’s the darkest of times when we need to savour these moments the most.” She pauses for a moment to study him, then continues, “Don’t lose hope Marcus, we’ll find a solution.”

Marcus’s lips soften into a smile of his own and he pulls her closer into his arms. He says softly, “You don’t know how happy I am to have you back.”  

And as Abby stares into his eyes, senses the sincerity ringing in his tone, something inside her breaks. She wonders just how long Marcus has gone through life alone, how many fatal situations and dark moments he had to experience alone, with no one waiting on the other side when it was all over.

Abby presses a soft kiss to his chest and meets his eyes, saying “We have each other.”

Marcus’s heart blooms at her words.

Abby goes to lie back down, snuggling next to his warm body. She’s exhausted, and knows that for once, she will have a peaceful night’s sleep. Yet she doesn’t want to sleep. Because she knows that once she sleeps, she’ll have to awake to a tent full of sick and traumatised patients waiting for her to sooth, heal and sedate. If she stays awake, she can relish the sensations of lying in Marcus’s arms all night.

Marcus notices, because he looks down at her curiously. “Not sleeping?”

Abby buries her face into the crook of his neck, breaths in his warm, musky scent. “Don’t want too.” She says it stubbornly, like an obstinate child, and Marcus’s lips twitch into an amused smile. Abby lifts her head up, shaking the few wisps of hair from her eyes. “Once I sleep, I’ll have to wake up and get back to work.”

Marcus’s eyes soften, immediately understanding. “I know,” he says, feeling a sigh rise heavily in his chest. “Tomorrow I’ll have to let the Council know that moving underground won’t be possible. Sinclair was hoping to replicate infrastructure that could hold underground like the people from Mt Whether did, but we just don’t have the resources or time-“Marcus stops, realising just how dark the conversation was getting. Still, he can’t help but ask with a sad heaviness, “What are we going to do Abby?”

Abby swallows, sees the pain break in his eyes. She leans up on her elbow so she can properly face him, determined eyes catching his. “Marcus, we will find a way, we always do. We can’t believe that our people were brought to the ground to die.”     

Marcus’s lips pull into a hint of a grim smile, her words of hope having him reminisce over previous memories. “Our people look to me to find an answer, and I’m worried that- what if I can’t find one?”

“What if _we_ can’t find an answer,” Abby corrects him softly, giving his hand a squeeze. “We’re in this together Marcus. We have to believe that we can find a way. After all, we’ve faced tougher odds before.”

Marcus smiles softly.

Maybe Abby is right. Maybe he has to have faith that they can find a way, and survival is possible. _They have overcome worst before._

And as Abby finally drifts off to sleep, Marcus places a soft kiss to her forehead; thinking with a smile, perhaps having hope wouldn’t be too hard, not when all the light in his life that gave him hope is lying right by his side.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I'm sorry I've been away lately. *hides and waits for the attack of used paper to stop* As many people know, I've been super busy with uni. I know some of you are probably wondering "Where the hell is our update for public affairs? How dare you leave us on such a cliff hanger??? We need closure!" 
> 
> And believe me, I want to give you closure. Unfortunately, my writing has been super rusty. I've had a brief period of free time that is basically over as I have a 4000 word un-started report due next week (yes, I chose to write Kabby instead of work on that tonight cause I love you all and screw responsibilities), i just couldn't write (maybe my brain's still used to writing super dry papers and coding, it's lost its creative passion?). My writing was off, rusty, i wasn't happy with it. I have started the update for public affairs but I'm not happy with it (I even sent it to Emily, who is happy with it but I'm not). I never want to post something I'm not entirely satisfied with. 
> 
> It's been annoying, cause I've had a ton of kabby feels I need to get out, but little creative inspiration and my writings been poor. Anyway, this idea came to me, and when I started writing it it flowed well. I'm satisfied with it enough to post. But I hope from here on, my writing will come back to me and I can work on the update for public affairs! It'll take some time to continue since i'm loaded with uni, work and volunteering. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you guys for being so patient with me. I love you all. Please review this and let me know what you think, especially since I've been so self-conscious about my writing lately.


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